Carton



y 1956 G. J. DALY ETAL 2,745,539

CARTON Filed Jan. 29, 1955 ENVENTORS' 6/0 var d. Dar/y Harm/a E. 1.15/7 5/? ATTOR NEY te States CARTON Application January 29, 953, Serial No. 333,889

2 Claims. (Cl. 22923) This invention relates to cartons, but particularly to those for containing apples.

it is the practice in the packaging of apples to place selected uniform ones in the top row. This has entailed some dhhculty in the normal method of packaging and it is an object of this invention to produce a carton which facilitates the packaging of apples and affords the desired feature of displaying the selected apples in the top or exposed layer.

Another object is to produce a new and improved carton, the cover of which is automatically latched to a liner adapted to be disposed snugly within a carton body, the arrangement being such that the liner and cover in inverted condition may be filled after which the carton body is slid over same and the assembly them turned over with the cover uppermost.

A further object is to produce a carton having a liner and a cover and in which the liner and cover are detachably connected in order to be handled as a unit independently of the carton body.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top perspective view of the carton, with a portion of the cover broken away for purposes of clarity;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the cover, a portion of the blank being shown in broken lines; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a carton or case of corrugated paper board having a bottom wall (not shown), upwardly extending side Walls 10, and end walls 11, thus forming a rectangular case with an open top. In the end walls 11 near the upper edges are rectangular holes 12 to serve as hand holes for carrying purposes.

Fitting snugly within the case is an open ended liner, also of relatively stiff corrugated paper board having side walls 13 and end walls 14, to fit flatly against the corresponding walls of the case. The liner may be formed of a single length of corrugated board scored in an appropriate manner and with the free ends taped together in a manner to provide a self-sustaining structure.

integral with the top edge of each end wall 14 of the liner is a tab 15 arranged centrally and depending downwardly and outwardly therefrom, the side edges of each tab being inwardly tapered for a purpose hereinafter to be described. Formed in each end wall 14 in position to register with the hand holes 12 of the case are similar holes 14a. It will be noted that the liner projects upwardly beyond the top or mouth of the case for a substantial distance.

Fitting over the upwardly projecting portion of the liner is a cover of corrugated paper board, which has a fiat body 16 with depending side walls 17 and end walls 18. It will be apparent from the drawings that the cover tray is formed of a blank having a rectangular central portion atentO which constitutes the top wall 16, and integral side and end wings 17 and 18 respectively. The depth of the depending walls of the cover is such that the lower edges thereof rest against the upper edges of the walls of the case. Each end wall of the cover is formed of a wing 18:: which has a central rectangular window 18b and integral with this panel is an inwardly folded portion which has a centrally notched portion 18d. The notched portion 13:! is substantially larger than the window 181) but the horizontal edge of the notched portion is parallel with the adjacent end of the rectangular central portion 16. When the inner panel 18c is folded over the panel 18a, the notched portion is in the region of the window 13b. On the inwardly folded portion 180 are integral tabs 18a, which when in folded position, extend through slots 19 in the cover body as shown, and thereby hold the end walls in place. It will be noted that the side walls 17 have extensions 17a which in folded position, are disposed between the inner and outer folds 18a and 180, thereby to hold the side walls of the cover in the desired position.

it will be understood that when the cover is applied to the upwardly extending portion of the liner, each tab 15 is first flexed inwardly, but upon encountering the notched portion 18d of the cover, it automatically fiexes outwardly due to its own inherent resilience, so that the free outer edge of each tab is in position to abut against the horizontal edge of the respective notched portion. in this manner, the cover and the liner are latched together, enabling them to be handled as a unit. The flaps 15 are larger than the rectangular openings 18!) so that they can not project into same.

In practice, the cover and liner are inverted, the cover being lowermost. This enables the placing of uniform selected apples in the cover and after such row of apples has been arranged, the balance of the apples may be dumped into the liner to fill it completely. Thereafter, the case is slid over the liner. By turning the assembly so that the cover is uppermost, the filled package is ready to be handled, the registering hand holds 12 and 14a in the end walls of the case and the liner affording convenient hand holds to enable the case to be carried from place to place. The filled case may thus be delivered to the grocer, for example, and the grocer may either remove the cover or both the cover and liner, thereby displaying the selected fruit in a satisfactory manner. it will be understood that although the liner fits snugly within the case, it can be removed from the case even though the latter is filled with fruit.

it is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. A substantially rectangular carton for apples and the like commodities comprisin a liner and a cover tray adapted to be packed in inverted position, said tray having a top wall and side and end panels and said liner having similar but slightly smaller side and end panels and an open top and bottom, the panels of the liner telescoping snugly within corresponding panels of the tray when the tray is inverted and the top of the liner is nested downwardly therein, resilient flaps on opposite end panels of said liner adjacent the top end thereof, said flaps lying on the outer sides of said liner and having free end edges disposed towards the liner bottom, said tray being formed of a blank having a rectangular central portion constituting the top wall of the tray, side and end wings on said blank. said central portion having slits therein adjacent the end wings, said side wings having main portions contiguous and co-extensive with the central portion and tongues projecting beyond the ends thereof, said main portions being folded downwardly and constituting the side panels of the tray, said end Wings each having a window therein adjacent the central portion of the blank and a cut-out in the free edge thereof outwardly of the window, said cut-outs having inner edges parallel with the ends of the central blank portion, and tabs on said free edges, said end wings each being folded downwardly from the central blank portion and thence upwardly along a foldline between the Window and the inner edge of the cut-out, the inner edge of the cut-out constituting an abutment facing the top Wall of the blank, said tabs projecting through said slits, said tongues being folded inwardly and engaged between the folds of the end panels, the abut ments on the end panels of the tray being arranged to engage the free end edges of said flaps for locking the liner in the tray, whereby a display layer of commodities may be carefully arranged in said inverted tray and others of said commodities may then be poured into said liner, and an outer box member having a bottom Wall and having side and end panels snugly fitting over the corresponding panels of said liner.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, the side and end panels of the outer box member being similar in hori zontal length and Width with the corresponding panels of the tray and lying substantially flush therewith, said liner and outer box member having registering hand holds through corresponding panels thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,130,271 Hammond Mar. 2, 1915 2,358,614 Arbuthnot Sept. 19, 1944 2,412,402 Huye Dec. 10, 1946 2,499,647 James Mar. 7, 1950 2,540,595 Props Feb. 6, 1951 2,551,814 Rushing May 8, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 242,264 Switzerland Sept. 16, 1946 

